Match Preview: Crystal Palace vs Arsenal Kicks Off New Season of Premier League

• Crystal Palace vs Arsenal, Selhurst Park, Friday 8 pm GMT
• Crystal Palace will host Arsenal tonight as the new season of the English Premier League begins
• Both sides have brought in new players, but all eyes will be on Gabriel Jesus, who has been on blistering form in preseason

Arsenal will tonight make the short trip across London to face Crystal Place in the opening round of the English Premier League.

The Gunners will be hoping to put behind them their opening day woes that has seen them drop points consistently in the first round of fixtures. Crystal Palace's head coach Patrick Viera took four points out of a possible six from his former side last season.

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Gabriel Jesus has done fantastically well, we are surprised how quickly he has done it, but we have to share that responsibility.

He’s an enormous talent, a player with the mentality that is so contagious, and he is going to give us a lot, but it is a team contribution at the end of the day, Arteta said of Jesus as quoted by Talk Sports.

Team News

Crystal Palace

Out: Michael Olise (ankle), Jack Butland (hand), James McArthur (groin), Sam Johnstone (quadriceps), James Tomkins (muscle)

Doubtful: None

Arsenal

Out: Emile Smith Rowe (groin)

Doubtful: Kieran Tierney (knee), Fabio Vieira (ankle), Takehiro Tomiyasu (thigh)

Players to watch

Wilfried Zaha will walk into another season as the danger man for the Eagles. Patrick Viera will surely miss the robustness of Conor Gallagher in midfield and he will hope new signings Cheick Doucoure and Malcolm Ebiowei will adapt quickly to life in the Premier League.

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Apart from Gabriel Jesus, fans will also be looking at Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is expected to start at left-back. Sports Mole reports that Arsenal had a good preseason with their attack firing from all cylinders.

Arsenal were beaten 2-0 by Brentford in the opening day of last season and they will be hoping their new men can lead them to an away victory tonight.

Gabriel Jesus is the most selected player on Fantasy Premier League

Sports Brief had earlier reported that new Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus is officially the most selected player in the history of the Fantasy Premier League game, with a whopping 72.5% of virtual managers placing him in their squads.

Jesus signed for Arsenal for £45 million from Manchester City and despite initially looking like a gamble, the Brazilian has exceeded expectations, at least in preseason.

He has scored seven goals on tour including an impressive hat trick as Arsenal completely destroyed Sevilla 6-0 over the weekend.